Photo story: PM off to Belize, NY & Barbados: Jack is acting PM

PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar hands over to Minister of Works and Infrastructure Jack Warner at the Piarco International Airport Tuesday just before she departed Trinidad & Tobago on official business. Warner will act as Prime Minister until her return on May 22. Read the story: PM Kamla sets off on busy international trip; Jack to act as PM until May 22

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar told reporters Tuesday she chose Works and Infrastructure Minister Jack Warner to act in her absence for the next seven days because of his competence. "He is a competent person to act as PM. He has acted before and I have no reason to believe he would not do a good job," Persad-Bissessar told local media.

Warner, who is also the chairman of the United National Congress (UNC), was the first minister to act for Persad-Bissessar following the 2010 general election and has taken on that responsibility several times.

Others who have acted include Finance Minister Winston Dookeran, Labour Minister Errol McLeod, Legal Affairs Minister Prakash Ramadhar and Tobago Affairs Minister Vernella Alleyne-Topin. Unlike her predecessor, Persad-Bissessar has always appointed elected MPs to act when she is away from the country. 

Former Prime Minister Patrick Manning's favourite pick for acting Prime Minister had been Senator Lenny Saith. NJAC has never had an opportunity to act because the party has no elected members and it's the same situation with the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ).